阅读经文 

在成长的过程中，我们学会遵守很多常规：要刷牙，过马路时要先向左右望，一定要说诚实话。然而以上哪一项是最重要的呢？

有人问了耶稣一个类似的问题：在神的律法众多的命令和规条之中，哪一条占榜首呢？耶稣毫不犹豫回答说：“最重要的就是爱神”——祂跟着立刻补充说什么是其次重要的：“要爱人如己。”

这里所说的爱是指哪一种爱呢？这是关乎神对我们的爱，就是毫无保留的爱——全然恩慈、丰丰富富、不附带任何条件的爱。

请你特别留意耶稣怎样说：“要爱人如己。”意思是说，如果我们要毫无保留和丰厚地爱我们的邻舍，我们便需要以同样的爱给我们自己了！神没有创造废物，我们都是按照神的形像被造的；我们是祂的杰作。神创造了我，爱自己不单是对的，祂更要求我去以祂所创造的我为乐呢！

耶稣给我们的做人准则——“你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人”（参太 7:12）——这是爱人如己这条诫命的另一种说法。在某种程度上，是否懂得爱人，决定于我们能否爱我们自己。

We learn many rules growing up: Brush your teeth. Look both ways before crossing the street. Always tell the truth. Which of these is most important?

Jesus was asked a similar question: Of the many commands and regulations in the law of God, which one tops the list? Jesus did not hesitate: “Love God above all”—and he quickly added the second: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

And what kind of love does this refer to? In connection with God’s love for us, this is unconditional love—totally gracious, generous, and with no strings attached.

Notice especially that Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This means that if we are to love our neighbors unconditionally and generously, we will need to love ourselves that way too! God doesn’t make junk. We are created in God’s image; we are his masterpieces. It’s not just okay to love myself: God expects me to celebrate the person he created me to be!

The Golden Rule Jesus gave us—“Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12)—is another way of saying this command to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving others well depends at least partly on our capacity to love ourselves.